The Real Shadowhunters of Atlanta
by FishShips
Summary: Get ready to meet a whole new set of Shadowhunters. With the sudden deaths of warlocks around the city of Atlanta, four young Nephilim are out to stop a murderer before all of Atlanta's Downworld is in uprising. With the help of Clary Fairchild's Alliance rune, are they ready to meet the challenge? Set between CoG and CoFA.
1. A Brief PSA on Public Transportation

**Hello. This is the real opening for the Reall Shadowhunters of Atlanta. Please, read, review, favorite, or whatever you want to do with it. It has almost nothing to do with the characters of the books, so if you're looking for them, you can stop here. If you want a thrilling ride through a new city, and a host of new Shadowhunters, carry on. Now go. Read the story.**

**\- FishShips**

Sitting inside the half full train, 15 year old Joshua Hightower tried his hardest not to smile. His sister was waving her hands animatedly in front of her _parabatai_, who, in turn, was trying his hardest to ignore her.

"Chase, did you even hear what Bri said, or were you too busy staring at that guys butt?"

Her braids swished around as she tilted her head towards the boy in question. Chase drew his eyes away from the distraction and focused on the girl. He drummed his fingers against his thigh. For a few seconds the soft click of his nails against the black leather was all the noise in the train. Eventually, Chase broke the silence.

"Is both a valid answer, Lizzie? Because I was definitely doing both."  
"Okay then," Lizzie said, narrowing her eyes. "Tell me. What did my sister just say?"  
"I didn't get all of it," Chase admitted, running his hand through his short cropped hair, "but it was something along the lines of, 'Blah blah blah, unused section of track. Blah blah, something about Five Points. Blah. A nest of Vermithrall, maybe a few Iblis. Yada yada. Morgana can't come. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Michael, Kieran, and Andrew will meet us at the station."

He said the last name with disgust. Lizzie just looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Chase leaned against the window, grinning triumphantly.  
"That good enough for you?"

Lizzie sighed and went back to leaning against him.

"I'll take that as a yes," Chase continued, pulling a Sensor from his pocket and pressing buttons at random. "I wonder when they'll be adding the Flash rune," he mumbled, "Can't be long now."

Josh smirked as his sister punched Chase in the arm.  
"It's actually Midtown," she said quickly, "not Five Points."

It was always strange, looking at the two of them. Chase, tall, broad shouldered, and blond couldn't possibly contrast more with Lizzie's slim, dark frame. Yet they were practically inseparable. Up until that past spring, their families had worried that the two would break their _parabatai_ vows and start dating. Then, to the general relief of everyone except for his parents, Chase Whitehall informed the world that he was not in the market for a girlfriend. He already had a girl friend, and she was more than enough for him to handle.

The train stopped, and most of the remaining mundanes shuffled out. Only the boy who had caught Chase's eye stayed. Standing alone, Josh wished momentarily that he had a _parabatai_. The fluorescent lights caught the Alliance rune he had printed on his forearm, and he shut the thought away, leaving it for some other train ride. _You already basically have one, _he reminded himself. The train lurched forward, and Joshua lost his balance, sprawling to the dirty floor.

"Really, Josh?"

He lifted his head and found himself eye to eye with Brianna. His oldest sister had draped herself classily over the more spacious back seats of the train car. Her hair cascaded to the floor like a curtain of oil. Her eyes were locked on his, and they looked very irritated.

"Are you gonna stand up or what? Just because this is your first underground trip, doesn't mean you get to be incompetent again."

Suddenly, the sword sheathed on his back felt three times heavier. He climbed to his feet, brushed himself off, and squeezed in to the small space next to his sister. The train rumbled out of the tunnel and slid onto a bridge. Joshua stared out the window. Below them, countless mundanes drove by on the highway. In the distance, the Atlanta skyline gleamed like a shooting star in the quickly fading light. All over town, vampires would begin to wake and walk the streets. The Shadow World would once again brush within inches of mundanes, unnoticed, as it always had.

The train hurtled into another tunnel, and the city was lost from sight.

At the next station, the train screeched to a stop. The four Shadowhunters hustled onto the platform. Chase stayed back a moment, scratching through the Glamour rune on his palm and shooting a smile at the guy at the front of the train. The guy waved back at him as the train rolled away. Josh sat down on an empty bench and watched Brianna pace the sparsely populated platform. Lizzie and Chase fell in beside him while Brianna continued patrolling the floor. Eventually, she gave up. She stalked over to where Joshua and the others were sitting and stood there, eyes blazing.

"Where are they?!" she yelled, oblivious to the long, pale figure rising up over her shoulder.  
"They should have been here-"  
"Five minutes ago?"

Brianna whipped around to the source of the voice, and the dark shape swooped down and grabbed her face. Josh jumped to his feet, ready to defend his sister, until he realized that she wasn't being eaten. She was being kissed. He sat down, feeling incredibly embarrassed. Brianna pulled away quickly, leaving a thin, tall boy standing confidently in the middle of the floor. She regained her composure almost immediately. She stomped back to the young man, and everyone on the bench leaned forward to watch the action unfold.

Brianna spit words like bullets. "Andrew! What was that for? Where were you? Where are the others? Tell me."

She cocked her hand back to slap him, and Andrew grabbed it out of the air in a fluid motion.

"Calm down," Andrew pleaded. "All I did was kiss you, and you're my girlfriend. Is that a crime now?"  
There was no response, and Andrew kept talking.  
"Look, Bri, don't worry. The other two are coming. Michael's trying to get Kieran down the stairs. For the record, this was a terrible idea. Why would you bring a faerie to a train station? Whose plan was this anyways?"  
"Hers."

Chase had stood up and pointed directly at Brianna. Andrew glared at him.

"I don't think you should talk about my girl like that, faggot. So you aren't going to do that again, kapeesh?"

He bared his teeth, and fangs glinted menacingly inside his mouth. Lizzie grabbed Chase by the arm and pulled him back onto the bench with a well-practiced motion. Brianna had already jumped in front of her boyfriend.

"Asshole," Chase muttered darkly.  
"Bitch," Andrew called back.

Brianna threw her arms into the air. "STOP IT!"

Josh saw Lizzie flinch, and the two boys froze.

"You two," Brianna hissed, glaring pointedly at each of them, "are acting like you're twelve. Cut it out. You're both practically adults. You should know how to control yourselves. Do so, or I will end you both."

She shook her head slowly. "I swear, it's like I'm the only capable adult here."

"Well then, I guess I came just on time."

A tall man in a tank top and shorts stepped out from behind a corner, followed closely by another clad in light leather armor. The guy in the tank top winked at Josh, and he sat up a little straighter. The tension between Andrew and Chase seemed to dissipate, and Andrew stepped back to the opposite wall. Brianna and Lizzie let out twin sighs of relief.

"Glad you're here, Michael," Lizzie said.  
"Sorry I'm late," he responded, "It's just, well; getting Kieran down the stairs was difficult."  
"It was quite unpleasant," Kieran echoed.

He spoke slowly, like a drunk trying not to slur his words. A train roared into the station, and the faerie teetered slightly and then collapsed. Everyone was on their feet, but Michael moved to catch him. He grabbed the fairy by his shoulders, but on contact with Kieran's armor, he jerked back. Thin red lines crisscrossed his palms. Kieran dropped to the floor. Under the lights, thin veins of silver sparkled on the surface of the leather. Chase hurried over to Kieran, while Joshua moved to inspect Michael's hands.

"Are you okay?" Josh asked.  
"I'm fine," the werewolf panted, "It's nothing major. Look. It's fading already. See?"

In fact, the burn marks seemed to vanish before Josh's eyes. The train pulled away, and almost instantaneously, Kieran piped up again.

"I am not quite completely fine, but I am far better than I was before."

He still spoke sluggishly, but no one cared. Even Andrew gave a little smile, seeing everyone okay.

"Well," he stated, "this has been an absolute disaster, but we are here for a reason besides nearly dying, which also involves probably nearly dying. Bri, can you explain?"

The girl cleared her throat before she started. "Alright, guys. We've got a nest of Vermithrall in an abandoned rail shaft, just past the opening of the Southbound tunnel. Of course, Vermithrall tend to move around a lot, so we're going to have to track them all down. Chase has the Sensor, so we're going to be following him into the tunnel, we'll mark up on the way. Let's go."

With that, she turned and walked casually over the edge of the platform. The other six followed her. On the train tracks, Michael nudged Josh in the shoulder and motioned to his forearm.

"I got it," Joshua stated confidently. He pulled his stele out from his front pocket and drew a quick Alliance rune on Michael's bare skin. The effect was instantaneous. He could see every detail of the trench they were in. He felt like he could lift a boulder, and at that moment, he probably could have. Michael grinned, clearly feeling the effects of the rune as well. Josh tossed him an angel blade from another pocket, and they moved forward into the tunnel.

About 10 yards in, Chase called out from in front of them.

"Uhhhh, guys? Who took the Sensor? It's not in my pocket. It was in there just a few minutes ago. I know it."

"It was not me," Kieran responded, "nor was it anyone else to my knowledge. Of course, I was distracted when Chase Marked me."  
"Really," Andrew drawled, "you can't even keep track of the Sensor. As incompetent as you are, how are you still alive?"  
"Me," Lizzie answered. She laughed when Chase frowned. "He left it on the train when he was checking out a guy. That's why I bring extra. Follow me."

She pulled a small machine from the bag slung over her shoulder, and pressed a few buttons. It lit brightly and started to hum, and they moved forward into the darkness.

**Again, please review. If you like it, favorite it. More chapters to come soon, after I update my other fics. I repeat, do not be afraid to flame this. I like to know what I did wrong as much as I like praise. It makes it more fun to develop. **

**See you again for Chapter 2**

**Have a nice day,**

**FishShips**


	2. The Other Underground Atlanta

**Wow. My bad. I've had this for like, two months, and I didn't publish it. But I am now. Hope y'all like it. **

**_FishShips_**

The light of the station dimmed quickly as they went deeper into the tunnel. Brianna lifted a witch light rune stone into the air, letting white light shine through the tunnel. Under the harsh light, Andrew's skin took on a ghostly pallor. A dark Alliance rune stretched across the base of his neck like a bloodstain. They moved in absolute silence, save for the occasional buzz of the Sensor. About a quarter mile in, the ground began to rumble. The seven pressed themselves against the wall just before a train whipped by them, bringing with it a wind that swirled through the empty space and tugged at everything around. It ripped the Sensor from Lizzie's fingers, and onto the tracks, just under the train's wheels. In a moment, the Sensor was reduced to powder.

The train carried on, and Kieran promptly threw up on the tracks. Chase hurriedly propped the faerie up. Shaking off the close encounter, the group continued to walk. It was a moment before they noticed that Lizzie hadn't moved. Chase, practically carrying Kieran, sprinted back towards his _parabatai_. Lizzie's face was a mask of horror.

"What am I going to tell mom and dad? We just lost two Sensors in one day. We are so dead!"  
"We are not dead," Chase said. "We'll just explain what happened to them. We lose them all the time, that's why we have, like, a thousand of them."

Lizzie straightened up slowly, and moved to catch up with the rest of the group. Chase managed to get there before her. They moved forward a few more steps before Lizzie stopped again.

"One question," she said loudly, "if we don't have a Sensor, how are we supposed to find the demons?"  
"They stink," Michael stated plainly, "They smell absolutely awful. I'm sure we can track them by the smell. Or at least, we can."

He tilted his head to indicate Joshua and himself, and they moved to head of the line. Josh had never tried using the werewolf's sense of smell, but it did work. He caught the scent of the iron that was flaking off the rails, and the smell of every passerby who had ever been through the station, and, ever so faintly, he could smell death and decay. Simultaneously, he and Michael pointed in the direction of the smell. It was a strange sight, but all of them had certainly done things that far surpassed tracking demons by scent.

"Woof, woof," Andrew joked.  
Michael flicked him off.

They moved forward slowly, following the werewolf and his Shadowhunter Ally through dusty access tunnels and abandoned underground construction sites. Around them, metal supports converted into beams of timber, and a faint odor filled the air. Joshua and Michael led them around a final corner, into an open and the full smell hit them all like a body blow. It was a noxious mix of rotting plants, and putrid meat that reeked of death and decay, and I blew on a hot wind from within the wide corridor. Josh and Michael reeled back, gagging. It was definitely the scent of demons. The others fell back at Brianna's signal, to plan their attack.

As they waited for Brianna to start talking, Chase scrawled a quick Alliance rune on Kieran's palm, leaning the other boy against the wall. Kieran raised his voice in complaint.

"I am in far better condition than merits the way you are treating me," the faerie complained. "There is a far lesser amount of cold iron in the older portions of the rail system. I will be almost completely undeterred, Chase. So please, stop fussing. It's becoming more bothersome than the actual metal."

Chase's face was obscured by the darkness of the tunnel, but everyone could tell that he was blushing. He spluttered something that sounded like an apology before Brianna waved her hand for them all to pipe down and they all stopped to listen. She looked at each of them in turn, and her gaze seemed to analyze them completely. She saw their talents and their shortcomings, and she knew exactly what to do with them. Her plan was ready in a matter of seconds, and quickly, she laid it bare.

"Okay," she started, "There are a ton of demons in there, so we're going to have to take this in teams. Josh, Mike, you two are going to be in the thick of it. Vermithrall are like giant worms, so what you have to do is keep them from piling together. Otherwise, things are going to get ugly real quick."

The two looked at each other and nodded. Josh pulled his sword from its sheath, letting its full weight rest on his palms. "We're on it," he said.

"Good."

She turned her attention to Chase.

"You and Kieran have to get rid of the Iblis. They're crazy fast, and almost impossible to hit, so try to catch them off guard. If they run, you're the only ones I trust to chase them down. If they get away, they'll disappear almost completely in the dark. So, don't let that happen, 'kay?"  
"Got it."

Chase's smile was as bright and cold as the silver knives that slipped out from underneath his armguards. At his side, Kieran looked up with eyes the color of freshly turned dirt.

"I am fairly confident in my ability to –"  
"He's fine," Andrew butted in, cutting short what probably would have been a long winded explanation of the same thing.

"I'm with Bri," Andrew continued. "We'll be in the middle of the mess, so y'all are basically covering for us while we kick ass."  
"That's one way to put it," Brianna said, her voice carrying the smallest hint of laughter.  
"Lizzie," Andrew stated, "you're with us, too."  
"Sounds good to me. Just let me get ready."

She set her pack on the ground and reached inside. With a few strong tugs, she managed to extricate a length of chain from the bag and get it onto the floor. At its end, a hook of _adamas_ glowed gently. The diffused light revealed the contours of Lizzie's face and glinted off the array of weapons strapped to Brianna's belt. The sparkle of steel reflected in her eyes.

"Everyone ready?"

A wave of nod passed through the group, and they slid into the tunnel wordlessly.

The swarm of demons within seemed oblivious of the Shadowhunters that now occupied their space. As the Nephilim spread out in the half light, the demons seemed like formless blobs. At Michael's feet, pale worms writhed across the floor, trailing poisonous goo behind them. Josh stepped carefully around the areas where the acidic liquid pooled. His fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword. Michael caught his eye and nodded toward the center of the cavernous space. A different breed of demon stalked there, insubstantial creatures of shadow and smoke that coalesced into thin black forms with yellow, lamplike eyes.

Josh watched the first demon die. Behind one of the shadow creatures, a flash of silver appeared as if by magic, followed by a mess of bright hair. The demon seemed to sense Chase and instant before he struck. It let out a single screech before the blade pierced its chest and it dissipated like dust in a strong wind. The whole world seemed to stop for a moment and devote its attention to Chase. The demons hissed with murderous intent.

Yet, before they could rush him, another screech echoed from the other side of the chamber, where a faerie knight held a blazing seraph blade above the fray. Brianna and Andrew separated themselves from the wall, and then the fighting began. The brilliance of witchlight and seraph blades illuminated the cavern, while Josh and Michael cut through the bugs that seemed to cover the floor. Despite all his training, Josh was not prepared for the chaos. The maggots that didn't die constantly tried to unite, forming hulking masses of toxic worms. Those were the Vermithrall, he realized belatedly, as he sliced through the center of the giant demon.

He had killed thousands of the little demons, but more seemed to seep from the walls, all of them sliding and knotting together to make more Vermithrall. With every colony that fell, another rose within seconds. Michael was beside him, tearing through the demons with blade and claw, but it was obvious that they were both on the defensive.

With his heightened senses, Josh could see that the others were faring much better. Lizzie smashed through swaths of Vermithrall. Ichor spattered her gear as the adamas chain arced through the air. Josh could only imagine how much of the foul-smelling stuff was getting on him while he split another colony of worms down its center. A wet sucking sound reached his ears, and Josh rolled out of the way just as an Iblis lunged at the place where he had just stood.

It turned and hissed at him, revealing fangs that shone like polished bone. He leapt to his feet in time to see a silver knife bury itself in the demon's skull. Looking across the cavern, he saw Chase wave at him encouragingly, a single blade in the other Shadowhunter's hand. The Iblis dissolved, and the knife fell to the ground with a soft click. Josh picked it up quickly and focused once more on the fight. Michael was engaged with two more Vermithrall, unaware of a third forming soundlessly behind him.

With a speed that would have made Kieran jealous, Josh marked a Fire rune onto the blade of the knife. He prayed that the Accuracy rune on his hand worked, and threw the knife directly toward his Ally. The blade flew true, barely missing Michael's hand to lodge itself in the mass of worms. A moment later, the demon burst into dazzling flames. As acid and ichor bubbled out of the blaze, Joshua ran back to his partner. "Saraqael," he grunted, and he felt the seraph blade in his palm grow warm. At Michael's side, he dispatched the remaining Vermithrall with relative ease. Once that was handled, he scanned the ground to find Chase's knife a few yards away. The blade was twisted and partially dissolved in a puddle of demon fluids.

Michael gave him a few heavy pounds on his back. Around them, the slaughter seemed to be winding down.

"Great job of nearly stabbing me," Michael said quickly, "by, like, not stabbing me. Good job at that. At not stabbing me. Good job at not stabbing me. Yeah. Good job at not stabbing me and stabbing the —"  
"Thanks, got it."

The hiss of an Iblis came from behind them both, and before Josh could draw his sword, Michael punched the demon in its face. It let out a single vaguely confused screech. Then it crumbled to powder, leaving flecks of black demon sand stuck to the claws that tipped Michael's hand. Its dying shriek echoed off the sides of the stone tunnel before fading into silence.

It took the two of them a moment to realize that every demon in the cavern was gone. Around the room, the others seemed to be reaching the same conclusion. At Brianna's signal, they all regrouped. The witchlight in her clenched hand provided all the light they needed to see that everyone was coated in demon gunk.

"Well," Brianna started, her voice sharp and clear.

She paused to wipe ichor from her face. Most of it just left streaks like poorly applied mascara, but the rest splattered to the ground in a thick, wet blob.

"That was gross," she finished, allowing herself a small smile.  
"So gross," Lizzie echoed.

It was sudden, like a switch had been flipped in all of them at once. Michael started to chuckle. It spread to Josh, who barked loudly, and then everyone was laughing, hunched over in the dark, covered from head to toe in dirt, and grime, and demon blood.

"Seriously though," Brianna said in between gasps for air, "we should probably get home. This is going to seriously stain if we don't wash it off quickly. And I'm wearing my nice gear today."  
"How terrible," Chase deadpanned, starting another wave of hysterical laughter.  
"I'm not joking," Bri said through a smile.  
"Fine."

Slowly, they calmed down, and in amiable silence, they moved back toward the train tracks. Almost immediately upon reaching the rail line, another train came closer to killing them than any demon. The faerie threw up, again.

**The first of many demon fighting adventures for our Atlanta Nephilim. But at least the Institute is always a great place for conflict free rest. Right? The next few chapters will be intermittent, though nowhere near as intermittent as the space between these two chapters. As always, favorite if you like it, and follow if you love it. **

_**Later,**_

_** FishShips**_


	3. Home, Sweet Home

**Hey. Sorry for the wait. I've been super busy, but now that I'm on top of my life again, you'll see a lot more coming from this side of the computer. Also, did my character just make it into a "Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy" short story? Probably not, but the name was cool. Anyways, back to your regularly scheduled Shadowhunters.**

Josh hurried out of the tunnel first, praying that he wouldn't be seen by the people waiting for their train. Instead, a small boy, no older than 6, noticed him immediately. He saw the boy tug on his mother's sleeve to point him out, but the woman simply chided her son. A few other mundanes gawked at the group as they emerged from the tunnel, but their gazes seemed to settle on Andrew and Michael. As the Shadowhunters climbed the maintenance ladder, Andrew leapt straight onto the raised platform. He swept the onlookers with a cursory glance and smiled icily.

"There's nothing to see here, mundies. Absolutely nothing. So just, go back to whatever useless thing you were occupying yourself with earlier, and just… forget this whole thing happened."

Slowly, the humans went back to waiting for their trains, and Brianna slipped forward with the others. She planted a quick kiss on Andrew's cheek.

"Nice job."  
"Yeah," he answered with a small smile.

"Okay," Lizzie butted in. "Believe me, you two are an incredibly sweet couple. It's disgustingly cute, really. But it is 11:30 right now, and we should get back to the Institute by, like yesterday. Personally, I also just survived a demon raid, which means I'm happy to be alive. I would like to reap the benefits of living a little longer, so I'd like to get home before our parents kill us. So, sorry if I'm ruining a tender moment, but we need to go."

She grabbed Brianna by the hand, and started to drag her sister off. Brianna capitulated, trudging toward the stairs with exaggerated anguish. The boys snickered at them from a platform bench. Lizzie gave them both a scalding look.

"Everyone. Now."

Josh and Chase shot each other matching expressions of concern and raced after the girls, waving hasty goodbyes to their Allies over their shoulders. Michael and Kieran waved back until the Shadowhunters disappeared from the train station. As soon as they were gone, Michael turned his attention to Andrew.

"I will _never _understand how you managed to land a girlfriend as good as Bri."  
"I don't care how, she's still mine. Fuck off."  
"Slow your roll, Dracula. I'm not interested in her."  
"Sure you aren't."

Kieran stepped cautiously between the two.

"I am about to leave, and while I do find your argument amusing, I do hope that you do not tear each other to shreds. It would be inconsiderate to the Shadowhunters who seem to care for you."

The other two looked at him, confused.

"Also, I may need slight assistance in scaling these stairs. Concrete is fine, but the support beams are iron, and I may not be able to ascend alone."

Michael and Andrew glared at each other intensely, but Andrew looked away first. Michael smiled.

"Looks like you've got faerie duty. I'm out."

—

Joshua stopped for a moment to look up at his home. The Atlanta Institute on Auburn Avenue was disguised as two low-slung, abandoned buildings. Yet, Josh saw through the facade to the towering structure. He was always impressed by the curving terraces and great glass windows that dotted the face of the Institute. The honeysuckle vines that climbed the stone walls and the magnolias that graced the entrance were in full bloom, bringing the whole Institute into spring. The wrought copper gates swung open at his older sister's touch. Lizzie called him in, and he hurried to join the others.

The inside was nearly vacant, the foyer's two sets of stairs curved up to the second floor, while to either side, long halls stretched off to join distant staircases. The kitchen was far across the building, but Josh could smell something sweet in the air. Everyone else seemed to be taking in the same rich scent, and Chase's stomach rumbled. Josh looked at his friend and laughed.

"It looks like your dad is cooking," Chase told him seriously, "I love your dad's cooking."

Chase moved toward the source of the smell hastily before Lizzie grabbed his shoulder.

"It's 12:46. We're already late. You are not eating until you don't look like you just rolled around in a sewer."

Lizzie lifted her parabatai's arm to prove her point, her lips curling with distaste. Chase's gear was practically dripping ichor, and his hand was stained with dirt and demon blood. Lizzie's face was smeared with grime, and Josh knew that he probably looked like he had crawled out of a septic tank. The only one of them who seemed remotely clean was Brianna, who had set herself down on the steps to watch the others.

"You know," she chimed in, "maybe you should wash up before our parents see you. Plus, y'all are staining the hardwood. Alice is going to be so mad. Oh. And, they can probably smell you already, so you don't have much time."

"In fact you have no time at all."

Everyone's attention snapped up to the dark-skinned woman standing on the balcony above them. Sonya Hightower did not look pleased. Her black hair was tied into a loose bun, held up by a small, thin dagger. Another, longer knife was held tightly in her hand. Though her posture was relaxed, her gaze still struck fear into the Shadowhunters below. She tapped her fingers on the balcony railing before speaking again.

"Where were you?"

Brianna answered first.

"We were out handling a nest of Vermithrall down by the Arts Center. There were a few more of them than we expected, but we're fine, Mom. I swear on the Angel. We just had a little trouble getting back because we couldn't use the trains."  
"And you're still staining the floors with ichor because…?"

"We just got back, Mom," Lizzie complained before withering under her mother's gaze.  
"Actually, ma'am," Chase added cautiously, "Liz was just telling us to go wash up."

Sonya's expression softened a nearly imperceptible fraction.  
"Well then, you'd better get to it. I'll tell your parents that you're back."

She turned to walk away, then stopped and looked back at them.

"Also, you're going to have to hurry if you want to catch dinner, or if you want to keep your lives."

They scrambled for the bathrooms.

—

Dinner was tense. Allen Hightower had made what looked like pork chops with caramelized onions, but by the time Joshua and the others had filed in, there were only bones left on the serving plate. The young Shadowhunters were forced to search for leftovers. Their parents were already seated around the dining room table, and they tried their hardest to avoid eye contact before taking their seats.

It was Alice Whitehall who spoke first. Her short blond curls bounced as words rushed from her mouth, and her cheeks grew flushed with scarcely contained rage.

"All of you are beyond my… UGH. You leave in the middle of the night without telling anyone, and now, you're back without an explanation! Sonya told me you were all drenched in ichor. You could've died. Why didn't you tell us where you were going? Are the floors damaged?"

"Glad to see you value our children's lives," Allen said quietly. "I'm actually happy to see that the kids took some initiative this time."

He caught his wife's stern look and quickly changed his tone.

"However, I am very disappointed that you all left without telling any of us. We wouldn't have been able to find you had you…"

"We were fine, Dad," Brianna groaned. "Andrew was there. And so were Michael and Kieran. We had it completely under control."

"So you brought the Downworlders with you."

Edward Whitehall looked at them with cold curiosity, and then shrugged.

"I personally believe that you'd be safer with us. But it's your choice."

Alice whirled on him.

"They're children, Edward! You can't just leave them to their own devices. Did your mother ever just let you do whatever you wanted? There are rules. There are limits. Back me up on this, Sonya."

"Listen to her kids. She's just as much in charge of this Institute as I am."

It was true of course. The Whitehalls and the Hightowers were both the Heads of the Atlanta Institute. That meant that Alice's word, uncontested, was law. Josh looked around the table for support, but it didn't look like any adult was about to say anything.

The searching silence was shattered by a series of bright, electronic tones. Everyone froze, and Chase, who had been sloppily devouring the remnants of a two-day old pizza, turned a violent shade of pink. He fumbled in his pockets for another thirty seconds, while Lizzie and Brianna tried and failed to stifle their laughter. Finally, he managed to extract the phone. Chase brought it quickly to his ear, hoping to deflect attention from his crimson face.

"Hello, this is Chase."  
Michael's voice came heavy over the phone line. "I know who it is, moron."  
"Hey, Mikey!"  
"Don't call me that. You know I hate it when you call me that. Anyways, are you okay?"  
"Yeah," Chase replied slowly. "I'm fine."  
"Is anyone forcing you to say that?"  
"No. I'm not saying that under compulsion."  
"Good. Because I've got something that might be a bit of a problem."  
"Okay? I'm listening."

Chase was silent, and his expression slid from mild confusion to concern. The rest of the table leaned closer, trying to catch what was coming from the other end of the phone.

"So, I was heading to a party at Five Points a few minutes ago. So, I showed up in the station, and pretty much everything was shut down. So,"  
"Cut the 'so,' Mikey."  
"Cut the 'Mikey,' Chase. Anyways, I was in the station, walking by the whole Lost and Found place, and I saw something light up. So, I walk up to the window, and I look in, and it's your Sensor... The one you left on the train. Some mundane brought your Sensor to MARTA's storage facility. Also, doesn't the light and buzzing mean that there are demons around?"  
"No big deal. They're always there. I'm sure the vampires can handle them; they're literally just around the corner… Wait. Are you going to a vampire party?"  
"NO! Faerie party… faerie party."  
"Tell Kieran I'd be there if I weren't tired as f- farmers after a long day in the field."  
"Nice save. I've gotta go, though."  
"Thanks, bye."

"What happened?"

The words spewed from Lizzie's mouth before Chase could even put the phone down. Chase slid his cell phone into his pocket before answering.

"It's fine. It's just that my Sensor is in the MARTA Lost and Found. Also, there are demons around Five Points. So I was right. Eat it, Bri!"

Brianna rolled her eyes. "You were guessing, and you know it. And there are always demons around Five Points. I'm pretty sure the Lost and Found is actually and entrance to Hell. So, there."  
"Whatever," Chase snapped back, "I'll get the Sensor tomorrow."

—

Alayna Cross walked back to her apartment cheerfully. She had gotten a little tipsy at the faerie party downtown, and she couldn't catch a taxi, but she didn't mind. Men made catcalls at her back, but when she turned around and stuck her tongue out at them, they were silenced. Mundanes tended to freak out when they saw inside her mouth. She had incredibly long canines, and a tongue forked like a snake's. They never inconvenienced her, but they never failed to intimidate everyone else. Alayna nearly thanked whatever demon father had given her such a handy trait.

She made it to her apartment just fine, and hurried up the stairs to the fifteenth floor. As a young warlock, jobs were scarce, so she was stuck in a complex without a working elevator. But at the party, her friend Lester had told her about a gig that he could use her assistance with. She was about to get paid. Alayna smiled brightly and opened her apartment door.

A man was standing in her front hall, wrapped in a dark blue cloak, with his back to her. Alayna took a step back, and then calmed down. His cloak was completely unmarked. He wasn't a Shadowhunter. But he was a trespasser. Her hands glowed with a coppery hue, and she felt the energy course to her fingers. She hissed, and the man turned around. His hair was long but controlled, and two rune-covered knives gleamed in his hands.

"Ms. Cross, it seems you're late for your death. How inconsiderate."

**Next chapter coming eventually. Don't worry.  
Follow if you like the story, favorite it if you love the story. Comment no matter what.**

**Love,**

** FishShips**


	4. Into the Fire

**Hey. This is FishShips. I am feeling really excited right now, because I just completed the longest chapter I've ever written. Hopefully, it's also the best. Shoutout to angelcarstairs4679 for reviewing this story, and I hope for more in the future. Anyways, let's cut to the chase. Go on. Read!  
**

Chase woke up at five o'clock, sweating. He had pulled on the first pajamas he could find the night before, which were made for twenty degree winter temperatures, not the high seventies of an Atlanta night. Underneath his bedsheets, he could see his figure outlined in soaked cloth. Chase slid out of his bed onto the junk-strewn floor of his room, and opened his closet. A jumble of multicolored clothes greeted him, and he swore at them for being too bright. He tore his pajamas off, swearing under his breath about the Institute's lack of air conditioning. He had just shed his soggy underwear when he heard his door swing open. He jumped behind the closet door instinctively.

Lizzie stood in the doorway, dressed like a schoolgirl with a red sweater and pleated skirt. She scanned the room slowly, her eyes settling on the half open closet. She chuckled a little and grinned diabolically.

"Really, Chase. Aren't you supposed to be out of the closet at this point?"  
Chase laughed hollowly.  
"You're very funny. I'm not coming out. I'm not wearing any clothes."  
"I'm not pretending to care. It's not like I'm interested in you, at all."  
"I'm NAKED, Liz!"  
"I don't care. You're beyond not my type."  
"Fine. Whatever."

Chase moved from behind the door, looking his parabatai in the eyes. Lizzie shrugged as he turned back to his clothing, quickly snatching up a pair of boxers. He stepped into a pair of worn jeans, and pulled down a pale green tee. On further inspection, the V-neck of the shirt cut deep, revealing a sizable amount of bare skin. Lizzie took notice immediately, scoffing at him.

"Oh boy, someone's showing off today."  
"You literally saw me just pick this at random. Chill."

She smiled playfully, and continued to tease him.  
"You, my friend, are going to have every girl on the street wanting you. And every guy is going to want to be you. Though I'm sure you'd prefer it the other way 'round."  
"Why are you even up this early?"  
"I could ask you that same question. Do you have a secret guy in your life? Someone you haven't told me about? I'm hurt."  
"You're so annoying." Chase groaned. "I'm just going to Five Points to get my Sensor. Now, tell me why you're up."  
"I couldn't sleep. I could go with you to the station. There probably aren't many people around, so it wouldn't look weird or anything. Plus, I'm bored."  
"That's great. I'm leaving in five minutes."  
"I'm already prepared."

—

Lizzie grabbed her bag from her room and sat at the door for at least twenty minutes before Chase came down the stairs to meet her. His hair was a mess, as usual, and she stood on her tiptoes to smooth it down. He thanked her with a smile, and she hugged him in return. They walked out of the Institute together onto the street.

It was a little warmer than Lizzie had expected, and she quickly shed her sweater, revealing the tank top beneath. She shoved the sweater unceremoniously into her bag. It hardly fit, as it had to share the space with her Morningstar. Not for the first time, she considered using a smaller weapon. The thought evaporated as she hurried to catch up with Chase. The station was in their sights, and Chase had broken into a sprint. Lizzie only caught up with him at the terminal stairs. They barreled to the Lost and Found desk, shocking the woman behind the counter.

The woman quickly regained her composure and settled into a state of indifference. She set down the novel she had been reading and looked up at them through lidded eyes.

"What are you looking for?" She sighed.  
"A… a phone," Chase stuttered.  
"Looks kind of weird," Lizzie followed, "Like a walkie-talkie. It would be easier if you just let us in and-"  
"Not a chance, missy," the woman said sharply. "That's my job."  
"But-"  
"Can it."

The woman turned her back to them and sauntered into a back room. Lizzie looked at Chase, who sighed and sat down in one of the dozens chairs around the counter. She followed his lead. The hard plastic pressed uncomfortably against her back while she waited for the woman to return. The seconds spilled into minutes, and Lizzie felt her patience wearing thin. She was seriously contemplating kicking the door down and raiding the Lost and Found when the door finally opened. The woman strolled out, eating a donut that she definitely hadn't had when she went into the room. Lizzie lunged for the desk, Chase on her heels.

The lady grunted and held out her hand. The Sensor sat quietly in her palm, a lime green slip of paper sticking out from beneath it. Lizzie's eyes lit up.

"That's it."  
"Fantastic," the woman grunted. "Someone turned it in last night. Left a note, too."  
"Thank you," Chase said, snatching the Sensor and stuffing it into his pocket.  
"Go away. I've got ten minutes left in my shift, and I don't want to waste them talking to you."

The woman picked her book back up and waved them away. Lizzie shook her head as she walked away from the desk. If she never saw that woman again, it would be too soon. Chase seemed oblivious to her feelings, clearly overjoyed to have his Sensor back. It was only when they left the building that Lizzie remembered the note that had come with the Sensor.

"Chase, have you looked at that note yet?"  
"Nah. It's probably not very important."  
"You don't know that! Read it."  
"If you care so much, you read it."

Chase pulled the small piece of paper from his pocket, crumpled it into a ball, and flicked it at her. She caught it easily with her left hand. Lizzie unfolded it carefully, spreading the message gently across her palm. It was written in a rough hand, obviously male. She read the note out loud, and Chase stopped to listen.

"You dropped this on the train when you left with your friends. You were probably too busy looking at my ass to notice you left it. Try to be a little more subtle next time. Anyways, weird phone, man. It doesn't even have numbers. Call me when you get this. Just want to know when you get your _phone _back.

404-529-6487"

Lizzie let Chase look at her, open-mouthed, for a few seconds before she spoke.

"I think that was kind of important. I mean, he saw you. And he gave you his number."  
"Okay. But he didn't give me his name. That's suspicious. Plus, he didn't just see me. He saw all of us."  
"So? The Mundie has the Sight, it's not that unlikely. Just call him. You did bring your phone, right? Besides, it's been two months since the whole Lance thing. You can do this."  
"OK. I'll call him."

As the sun cleared the horizon, Chase reached into another pocket and drew out his phone.

—

Brianna woke up at sunrise. The light streamed into her eyes, blinding her, and she stumbled out of bed, rubbing furiously at her eyelids. When the spots faded from her vision, she walked to her closet and picked out her outfit for the day, a yellow blouse and black leggings. She slid two angel blades into her pockets, and shook out her hair.

The smell of bacon started to permeate her room, and she tugged on a pair of lightweight boots before hustling to the kitchen. Inside, Brianna was greeted by Chase's mom, who stood over a pan of sizzling meat. Some of the others must've already left, because a few dirty plates crowded the sink. Brianna poured herself a glass of orange juice, grabbed a plate, and thanked the cook before digging into her breakfast.

A series of loud footsteps brought Joshua into the kitchen, and he joined her at the table. Brianna watched him eat three pieces of bacon at once, and smirked. He looked at her confused, grease dripping from his chin.

"You're going to regret that." She said calmly.  
"Why?"  
"Because you're training with me right after you finish eating."

She heard Alice snicker from the kitchen. Josh swallowed slowly and looked toward the door longingly. Brianna had already told him what she planned for the day. He was going to spend an hour practicing hand to hand combat, followed by sword training, and ending with a five mile run. Brianna looked forward to seeing her brother throw up.

Josh looked queasy already, but he kept his voice neutral.

"Have you seen Chase or Lizzie? They should be down by now."  
"Maybe they already ate?"

Alice chimed in from the stove.

"They haven't had breakfast yet, sweetie. So, they might still be asleep, especially after you stayed out so late last night."

Brianna ignored the blatant accusation.  
"Oh. Well then, I'll go wake them up."

She got to her feet, and started making her way to the door. She froze when Alice gave a small shriek. Joshua was at the woman's side before Brianna was even halfway there. She bent over to see what the other two were looking at. A singed piece of paper rested in Mrs. Whitehall's hand. Someone had just sent her a fire message. Alice waved the two children back, and began to read.

"Nephilim of the Atlanta Institute, this is Elysia Frost, High Warlock of Atlanta. I have discovered a most unfortunate event. A warlock was murdered last night, by the name of Alayna Cross. The circumstances of her death suggest the involvement of seraphic weaponry, although it was difficult to recover much from her apartment. If you have any indication of who may be responsible for this, contact me immediately. Otherwise, I will see you at noon to discuss plans for further investigation.

Cordially,  
Elysia Frost"

Alice narrowed her eyes and stared at the paper. Brianna exchanged nervous glances with her brother, and they inched toward the door. Alice lifted her head and glared at them, and they stilled.

"I'm only going to ask you this once. Where were you last night?"  
Brianna matched her tone, steel for steel.  
"We were in the subway tunnels, neutralizing a nest of Vermithrall."  
"Is this true, Joshua."  
"I swear it on the Angel, ma'am."

The fire in her eyes dimmed, and she turned back to the stove, still clearly irritated. Joshua hurried to the door, all fear of training overcome by his fear of Alice's fury. Brianna picked his plate up from the table and placed it on the stack of dishes in the sink. She paused to catch what Mrs. Whitehall was mumbling over the pan of bacon.

"Bitch says she's coming at noon. She can never handle her own damn problems. She made it public too. She's more irritating than Allison..."

Brianna left the kitchen, and nearly crashed into Joshua. It was obvious that he had been standing just outside the door, trying to catch anything that was said inside. She didn't say anything about it. Instead she pulled her brother close.

"Grab your sword," she whispered into his ear. "We're about to visit a murder scene."

—

The phone rang three times before someone picked up. Chase clutched the phone to his ear, and Lizzie sidled close enough to hear the conversation.

"This is Ernesto. Who's this?"

Chase was silent for a moment, and Lizzie elbowed him in the ribs. He flinched and licked his lips before talking into the receiver. His throat was dry and his voice was scratchy.

"Hi. My name is Chase, and ummm… I'm the guy from the train."

There was a pause on the other end, and Chase would have hung up immediately if Lizzie hadn't been glaring daggers at him.

"Uhhhh… I didn't think you'd actually cal. Nice to meet you, over the phone. Does that count as meeting you?"  
"I think so…"

Chase could hear other people's voices on the other end of the line. Ernesto clearly had friends listening to their conversation. Chase started to sweat. It wasn't a trap. He was talking to an actual person. Ernesto returned to the phone, sounding flustered.

"My friends want to meet you. I told them it was stupid, but-"

Lizzie grabbed the phone from Chase's hand and shouted into the phone, while Chase struggled to get it back.

"He'd love to meet you. Just give him a time and place."  
"That was my friend," Chase yelled at the phone, yanking it from Lizzie's grasp.  
"It's fine. My friends are trying to do the same thing."  
"Centennial at noon," Chase heard faintly in the background.

Ernesto laughed.  
"They want to meet up at the fountains at noon. Does that sound good to you?"

Chase struggled to find words and hold off Lizzie at the same time. The best he could come up with was a weak, "Sure. I guess."

Lizzie smiled widely, and stopped fighting for the phone. On the other side, it sounded like Ernesto's friends had started clapping. Chase groaned, and heard his sentiment reflected across the speaker. A smile played its way across his face.

"I guess that's a plan."

—

Josh could never understand how his sister could run so far and not get tired. Brianna had called her boyfriend and asked him for the dead girl's address. Andrew had complained for several minutes about the timing of her call, but he eventually called up a few friends and gave her the information. She kissed him over the phone, and they had hung up.

For the next hour, Josh had followed Brianna around the city on foot. By the time they stopped, his legs were aching, his lungs were burning, and the bacon in his stomach was threatening to make reappearance. Brianna wasn't even breathing hard. He bent over and panted into his knees, while Brianna inspected the apartment building in front of them. She waved him over to the door before he had the chance to recover. He limped toward his sister, clutching his burning sides. She smiled viciously.

"I don't see any signs of a forced break-in, and it doesn't look like anything used magic. Anything you noticed, Josh?"

Josh shook his head, too tired to speak.

"Good. We're going in."

Brianna drew her stele and inscribed a simple Open rune on the door. The door swung out silently, and she slipped into the foyer. Josh trudged in after her. He spotted an elevator and sped toward it, only to be greeted with a glaring 'Out of Order' sign. Turning around, he saw his sister disappear around a corner. He urged his heavy limbs to follow her. He groaned when he found his sister nimbly climbing an endless flight of stairs. He turned to the broken elevator, and swore. Then, he began the daunting ascent.

Five minutes later, Josh met his sister on the landing of the fifteenth floor. His legs felt ready to collapse, but he stood beside his sister as they approached the dead warlock's room. Brianna wiggled the doorknob twice before placing another Open rune beneath the room number. She pushed the door open and flicked the lights on. The smell of smoke poured into the hallway. Josh looked into the apartment and vomited.

The entire room was burnt. The walls were black with soot, and the charred body of a girl no older than twenty five was splayed on the floor. Brianna looked sick, but she walked carefully into the apartment, stepping gently over the dead body in the cramped entryway. Josh hurried after her, closing the door behind him. He resisted the urge to throw up again as he looked at the corpse. The scorched skin had started to peel away, revealing bone that gleamed white against the ash.

The living room had not escaped the blaze. A single wooden leg was all that remained to mark where a chair once stood. A melted heap of plastic and wiring that had been a television sagged against the wall. The only thing that hadn't been completely incinerated was a metal bookcase, whose glass doors were obscured by a thick layer of soot. Brianna moved soundlessly into the bedroom, but Josh stepped closer to the bookcase. He tried to brush the film of smoke from the glass, but settled on opening the doors.

The bookcase was nothing special by warlock standards. Dozens of old manuscripts cluttered the shelves, mixed in with trashy romance novels. A few dying plants sat on top of stacks of books, and Josh poked a vial filled with an unidentifiable purple goo. But the only thing that really stood out was a small bronze figurine, sitting alone on an empty shelf. Cast with great detail, it showed a man kneeling before a blazing tree. Josh plucked it quickly from the shelf and closed the doors.

Brianna returned to the room seconds later, looking deeply concerned. She grabbed Josh by the shoulder and led him to the door. She only spoke once they left the apartment.

"Whoever did that is a monster. That wasn't just murder. That was slaughter."  
"It's not our problem," Joshua said, trying to console his sister. "The High Warlock is already looking into it. I'm sure she can solve it on her own."  
"Whoever did that isn't about to be stopped by any warlock. Did you see what happened in that room? It didn't even look like there was a fight. They, we, don't know what we're up against."

Josh looked her in the eyes. Brianna seemed ready to collapse. Josh's hand went to the figurine in his pocket, clenching it inside his fist. He thought for only an instant before making his decision. Legs no longer hurting, he made for the stairs, pulling his sister along with him.

"We're going to find out."

—

Centennial Olympic Park was fairly empty for a warm spring day. A few people with their children and pets decorated the grassy slopes and brick pathways. But, compared to most sunny days, almost no one was there. Chase was glad that there weren't many people to witness what he was certain would be the worst meeting of his life. Lizzie jogged behind him, urging him toward the fountain at the center of the park. He was slow in getting there, but eventually the rings of leaping water were in his sights. He sat down on the steps leading to the fountain, and Lizzie settled down next to him.

"It's 11:59. They'll be here."  
"I'm not scared of them not coming, Liz."  
"You're scared that they _will_ come."  
"No way!" Even Chase knew that his tone was unconvincing.

"It'll be fine. Ernesto seems to like you. And sure, you've only interacted by staring at his butt, and agreeing to come here, but everything has to start somewhere, right?"  
"Yeah, but it doesn't have to start at all if we leave now."  
"We're staying. Just because you're scared, it doesn't mean that I am."  
"This isn't about you."  
"That doesn't matter," she said calmly, holding him down. "Oh look. They're here."

Chase frowned, taking in the group of four high school students jostling each other as they headed toward the fountains. He stood up to walk away, but Lizzie flagged the group down, and they hurried over before he could escape. He tried to pick Ernesto from the group and settled on a guy about his height who clung tightly to a brown leather satchel. Chase approached him cautiously, before smiling and sticking out a hand.

"I'm Chase. I think I introduced myself over the phone, but I think I'll do it again in person. The girl with me is Lizzie."  
"Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you. You already know my name, so I'm not going to waste time there. Anyways, I don't think you've met my friends."

Ernesto pointed to a boy with bright blue hair, who smiled and waved in response. "That's Zak."  
"There's Amy," he continued, indicating a girl in a biker jacket who was talking animatedly to Lizzie.  
"And over there, that's Aaron." Ernesto waved in the direction of a short boy who had taken the liberty of taking a nap on the concrete steps.

"Odd crew," Chase joked.  
"I could say the same for you. Last time I checked you're the guy whose friends are tatted up."

Ernesto took that moment to examine Chase's bare arms. The runes from the night before had long since faded, leaving behind only pale scars. His eyebrows shot up in confusion, and he looked at Chase with newfound intrigue.

"They weren't permanent," Chase explained quickly. "Just body paint for a party. I had to look like a badass, you know."  
"Well, you are definitely not pulling it off right now. At best, you look like a pedestrian."  
"At worst?" Chase inquired hesitantly.  
"You look one ear piercing away from being a flaming homosexual."  
"Well at least I look how I feel."

Ernesto laughed, and Chase couldn't help but to laugh with him. They must have been louder than Chase thought, because Aaron blinked awake and gave the two of them a dark stare. Chase flinched, the Voyance rune on his hand burning. _Werewolf. _The word popped into his head unbidden, but he knew what it meant. Aaron was a Downworlder.

Recognition flashed in the werewolf's eyes at the same time. Aaron got up slowly, looking between the two Shadowhunters that flanked him. His movements remained relaxed, but beneath the mask of calm Chase could detect the slightest hint of a threat. He only relaxed once Aaron settled down next to them without sprouting fur and fangs. The boy sat down, cross-legged, to Ernesto's left.

"I didn't know you met a Shadowhunter on the train."

Aaron's voice was light. He sounded as though he just as easily could have been talking about breakfast. Chase looked at him with wide eyes. Apparently, no one had told the kid that talking about the Shadow World with mundanes was way out of bounds. He quickly recovered from his shock, replacing it with a mask of innocent befuddlement.

"What are you talking about? What's a Shadowhunter?"  
"Can we please not do this," Aaron asked, sounding tired.  
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm not _doing _anything."

Ernesto squeezed Chase's arm hard. Chase yelped, then turned and glared at him. Ernesto's brown eyes didn't blink.

"You do know that I know that my friend is a werewolf, right?"  
"Oh."  
"And that I know what a Shadowhunter is."

Chase paused to gather his thoughts.

"No, I did not."  
"Well then," Ernesto gave Aaron a quick, indecipherable look before turning back to him with a wide smile.  
"I don't blame you for trying to keep that a secret. At least it explains the whole not wanting to meet me thing."  
"Yeah, that's it. Sorry about that. Just a question: do the rest of your friends know?"

The werewolf scoffed.

"Of course they do. I don't have anything keeping me from telling them. Besides, all of us can see anyways, so they would've known sooner or later. It didn't make sense to keep them in the dark."  
"Fair enough. Of course, the Law does frown upon telling mundanes about us."

Aaron's eyes narrowed. Chase smirked.

"But I think I like you enough to let it slide. It doesn't seem like it's a really big problem. You're welcome."  
"You're an asshole," Aaron whined.  
"I know. It's something I work at."

Aaron snorted, and they fell into an easy banter, joking about the Downworlders they knew, and swapping stories of faerie parties. Ernesto would interrupt occasionally, his eyes glittering with excitement, to give an alternative view of his friend's tales. Chase waved to Lizzie, and she smiled back at him, but didn't join. He figured that she was far more interested in talking to another girl for a change.

—

Alice Whitehall stood impatiently by the doors of the Institute. She knew that Elysia Frost had a penchant for tardiness, but it never failed to grate on her nerves. Noon had been an hour ago, and she had been at the door the moment the clock struck twelve. She considered getting Edward to do the waiting for her, but she had a sneaking suspicion that the warlock would arrive the instant she was away from the door. If she knew anything about Elysia, it was that her favorite thing to do was complain about the Nephilim's lack of hospitality.

Regardless, it quickly became too much to bear. Alice stormed away from the door, headed for the bedroom. She marched in loudly, startling Edward as he polished his saber. He winced and turned to look at her, clutching his left hand against his side.

"Can you please knock?" He asked quietly. "I just cut my hand."  
"Stop whining. I'm the one who's been waiting for Elysia."  
"It doesn't look like you're at the door."  
"That's because I'm tired of waiting. It's your turn."  
"My turn? She sent you the fire message. You can handle it!"  
"I can handle a lot of things, Edward. I married you, so I wouldn't have to."  
"I know that. But do I really have to deal with her? I'll take the next Allison event."  
"Not a chance. You're waiting at the door."

Edward heaved an exaggerated sigh and stood up. Alice gave him an encouraging smile before shoving him roughly out of the bedroom. She settled onto the bed. She had been awake since six in the morning. She was ready to rest. Alice put her head against the pillow gently, and immediately got back up to the sound of someone pounding on the Institute's doors.

**I hate to leave off here, but I love leaving off here. Don't worry, this fic will be updated again so you won't be left hanging forever. As usual, favorite or follow this story if you like it, and always ALWAYS review. It makes me happy, and may or may not inspire me to write faster.**

**Love,**

** FishShips**


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